Portable insulin and vaccine storage device

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a portable insulin and vaccine storage device. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device comprises of a storage unit to store insulin and vaccine; a Peltier module for heating or cooling the storage unit; a heat sink capable of working as a heat exchanger to maintain temperature of the Peltier module; a radiator and fan for maintaining temperature of the storage unit; a control unit for controlling functioning of the portable insulin and vaccine storage device; and a power supply unit for powering the portable insulin and vaccine storage device. The present disclosure provides a device designed to function under extreme weather conditions and being affordable, it is poised to bring about a positive change in the life of people afflicted with diabetes in South Asian countries and those who need to store insulin.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to a medical storage device. The present application also discloses a portable insulin and vaccine storage device.

BACKGROUND

Insulin therapy is often an important part of diabetes treatment. Diabetes patients regularly require taking insulin. Insulin requires being stored properly for maintaining efficacy. In similar way, vaccines also need to be stored. The potency of insulin and vaccines is maintained only when stored in a temperature-regulated environment of 2-8° C. Lack of temperature regulating devices such as refrigerators, and erratic power supply in urban slums/rural areas, makes it a challenge to store insulin, vaccines for prolonged periods, in the specified temperature range, more often than not leading to insulin losing its potency.

An inherent problem with insulin and vaccines is the maintenance of storage temperatures, between 2-8° C. over prolonged periods. Inability to do so alters the pharmacokinetics & dynamics of insulin/vaccines resulting in a loss of efficacy. In the resource challenged scenario of India and other South Asian countries, where power supply & access to refrigeration is a problem, the potency of the insulin being used by the patient at home is debatable. This result in poor glucose control and increased rates of micro & possibly, macro vascular complications and the ineffective vaccines are of no use. People are generally unaware if the efficacy is lost.

Presently there are few modalities for insulin storage in areas with high ambient temperatures and without access to refrigeration. Suspension of insulin vials/cartridges, encased in waterproof material are kept in earthenware pots filled with water. Storage of insulin is also done in layered earthenware pots where there is sand between the outer and inner walls. In very cold weather i.e. in areas with subzero temperatures, insulin is wrapped in layers of blankets to maintain the required storage temperature.

However, there are no studies to corroborate the efficacy of these modalities. The product developed aims to overcome these insulin storage issues, by not only maintaining the optimum storage temperature for a reasonable period, in resource challenged areas without continuous access to the electric supply, but also by giving user the flexibility to carry insulin safely and easily.

There are many conventional arts available for such purposes. One of the conventional devices work on the principle of evaporative cooling and retain their contents at around 25° C. for a minimum of 45 hours per immersion period in a constant environmental temperature of 38° C. Hence, they are not suitable for long time storage of insulin and are not targeted to store insulin under extremely cold conditions. Evaporative cooling loses effectiveness under humid conditions and hence the functioning of these devices get hampered in humid conditions.

Another conventional art works on the principle of thermoelectric cooling. The device is advertised to function when the ambient temperature is 25° C. or below and can only cool the insulin. Hence, these devices are quite expensive and they are not customizable to be used readily in South Asian climatic conditions. During experiments with the device, it was found that even after operating the device for more than 2 hours the lowest temperature inside the box was 14° C. and the ambient temperature was 25-26° C. The device cannot keep insulin within the desired temperature range where the ambient temperature is lower than 2° C.

However, the available devices are either not equipped to handle extreme temperature ranges (summer and winters) in South Asian countries or are too expensive for economically/resource challenged population found in this region. Hence, there is a need for a device for storing insulin and vaccines at extreme temperatures. The monitoring system should have low cost and easy operation and maintenance.

Therefore, the present disclosure overcomes the above-mentioned problem associated with the traditionally available method or system. The present disclosure provides a device designed to function under extreme weather conditions and being affordable, it is poised to bring about a positive change in the life of people afflicted with diabetes in South Asian countries and those who need to store insulin.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a portable insulin and vaccine storage device comprising of a storage unit to store insulin and vaccine; a Peltier module for heating or cooling the storage unit; a heat sink capable of working as a heat exchanger to maintain temperature of the Peltier module; a radiator and fan for maintaining temperature of the storage unit; a control unit for controlling functioning of the portable insulin and vaccine storage device; and a power supply unit for powering the portable insulin and vaccine storage device.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, the storage unit is a thermally insulated double walled cylinder.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, the storage unit comprises of a compartment to hold a cooling liquid/gel for transferring heat.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, the heat sink is selected from a heat sink having heat pipes and fans or a liquid cooled heat sink.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, the power supply unit is selected from a lead acid battery, a solar battery or a lithium-ion battery.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the storage unit is made using 3D printed components.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the Peltier module is capable of changing direction of flow of current for heating or cooling.

One should appreciate that although the present disclosure has been explained with respect to a defined set of functional modules, any other module or set of modules can be added/deleted/modified/combined, and any such changes in architecture/construction of the proposed system are completely within the scope of the present disclosure. Each module can also be fragmented into one or more functional sub-modules, all of which also completely within the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures (Figs.) illustrate embodiments and serve to explain principles of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that these figures are presented for purposes of illustration only, and not for defining limits of relevant applications.

FIG. 1A illustrates a conceptual diagram of a portable insulin and vaccine storage device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B illustrates a block diagram of operation of a portable insulin and vaccine storage device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1C illustrates a schematic view of the components of the portable insulin and vaccine storage device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1D illustrates a 3D representation of a portable insulin and vaccine storage device in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.

The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a portable insulin and vaccine storage device 100 is disclosed as shown in FIG. 1A. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device 100 comprises of a storage box 102 to store insulin and vaccine; a Peltier module 104 for heating or cooling the storage box; a heat sink 106 capable of working as a heat exchanger to maintain temperature of the Peltier module; a radiator and fan 108 for maintaining temperature of the storage box 102; a control unit including controller 110 for controlling functioning of the portable insulin and vaccine storage device; and a power supply unit 112 for powering the portable insulin and vaccine storage device 100 as shown in FIG. 1B.

In an embodiment of the invention, the storage box 102 is a thermally insulated double walled cylinder. The storage box 102 can be made using 3D printed parts. Basic thermal insulation is provided to the storage box 102. The shape and size can be varied depending on the requirement of the user. The good design of this component will lead to an effective thermal insulation leading to an increase in duration that a power supply can be used on a single charge.

In an embodiment of the invention, the Peltier module 104 for heating or cooling the storage box 102 was selected that is viable to be used under the wide environmental conditions found in India. It's a solid-state device that can be used for precise temperature control of a storage unit. The device can be either used for heating or cooling a container by manipulating the direction of flow of the current. The selection of Peltier module 104 is dependent of the ambient temperature found in a region.

The Peltier module 104 works on the principle of thermoelectric cooling/heating. When electric current is applied, one side of the Peltier module 104 cools up and the other side gets heated. Hence, by controlling the direction of flow of the current, the Peltier module 104 can be used to either heat or a cool a storage compartment.

In an embodiment of the invention, the heat sink 106 capable of working as a heat exchanger is to keep the temperature of one side of the Peltier module 104 at the ambient temperature as shown in FIG. 1C. As shown in FIG. 1C, the device 100 includes a tin container 114 having galvanized thin steel sheet 116.

Active and passive heat sinks 106 can be used based on the ambient temperature and the desired performance. Either a heat sink 106 with heat pipes and fans can be used or a liquid/water cooled heat sink 106 can be used. Depending on the heat sink 106, its cost can affect the overall cost of the product. A fan for cooling 108 is commonly used in the electronic industry to regulate the temperature of components having high temperatures. This component can be replaced with another variant and shows the modular nature of the device 100.

In an embodiment of the invention, a control unit—controller 110 for controlling functioning of the portable insulin and vaccine storage device 100 can be used for regulating the temperature inside the storage area by controlling the currently supply to the Peltier module 104. The control unit—controller 110 is used for changing the direction of flow of current based on the ambient temperature and also for regulating power supply depending on the temperature of the storage unit. If the temperature inside the storage unit is within 2-8° C., no power supply to the Peltier module 104 is required and this helps with conserving energy and the power supply can be used for longer duration of time. The controller 110 should be selected such that it consumes energy as less as possible. The use of controller prevents vaccines, insulin etc. to get freeze.

In an embodiment of the invention, the power supply unit 112 is used to energize the controller, the Peltier module 104 and components of the active heat sink like fan 108. The design of the disclosed device 100 is such that it can be used with different sources of power such as lead acid battery, lithium-ion battery or solar powered battery. The choice of battery affects the portability of the device 100 and the overall cost of the device 100 as shown in FIG. 1D.

All the components used are modifiable and can be adjusted as per the environmental conditions and requirements. Based on the experiments, it was observed that after 25-30 minutes of operation a temperature within the range of 2-4° C. was achieved in the storage area of the device while the ambient temperature was within 32-34° C. The device 100 was able to operate continuously for 11-12 hrs with a 12 Amp-hr. lead acid battery on full charge, while keeping the temperature of storage within 2-8° C. during the entire duration. The design 100 focuses primarily on improving the thermal insulation of the storage unit 102.

The storage unit 102 is a double walled cylinder that has better thermal insulation capability. The double walled cylinder structure increases the insulation capability of the device 100. Using liquid cooled heat sink 106 increases the efficiency of the Peltier module 104. The arrangement of the Peltier module 104 necessitates the use of a compartment in the storage area that can hold a cooling liquid/gel for transferring heat or removing heat from the storage box 102 used for storing insulin vials.

The present disclosure provides a portable insulin and vaccine storage device 100 designed to function under extreme weather conditions and being affordable.

Advantages of the portable insulin and vaccine storage device 100 —

-   -   Efficient thermal insulation of the storage compartment.     -   Highly efficient heat sink.     -   Can be operated in areas where the ambient temperature is close         to 40° C.     -   Higher operating time on a single charge of battery.

While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

Thus, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable insulin and vaccine storage device comprising: a storage unit to store insulin and vaccine; a Peltier module for heating or cooling the storage unit; a heat sink capable of working as a heat exchanger to maintain temperature of the Peltier module; a radiator and fan for maintaining temperature of the storage unit; a control unit for controlling functioning of the portable insulin and vaccine storage device; and a power supply unit for powering the portable insulin and vaccine is storage device.
 2. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage unit is a thermally insulated double walled cylinder.
 3. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises of a compartment to hold a cooling liquid/gel for transferring heat.
 4. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is selected from a heat sink having heat pipes and fans or a liquid cooled heat sink.
 5. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device of claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is selected from a lead acid battery, a solar battery or a lithium-ion battery.
 6. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage unit is made using 3D printed components.
 7. The portable insulin and vaccine storage device of claim 1, wherein the Peltier module is capable of changing direction of flow of current for heating or cooling. 